Everybody is talking about the Google Pixel 5, for better or for worse. It’s Google’s latest flagship, and as such comes with the “stock” Android experience, the bootloader is easily unlockable (at least on the carrier unlocked variant), and flashing anything via Fastboot is no hassle. Thanks to the quick availability of the kernel source, it was fairly easy to predict that the aftermarket development madness would start afterwards—and surprise, surprise, we were all right. The first custom ROM for Pixel 5 has now been released, and XDA Senior Member kdrag0n is the developer who delivers the goodness to the community.
Dubbed as “ProtonAOSP”, the custom ROM seems to be pretty much stable for the most part. The underlying layer still based on AOSP 11, but it also manages to provide serious privacy-minded capabilities you won’t find on the Google’s stock software. The additional goodies are geared towards stability and performance, so it’s perfect for those who want to take advantage of all the features that the Pixel 5 offers, but with a bit more customizability.
Reduced system notification clutter and annoying prompts
In terms of bugs, the developer notes that Wi-Fi calling is broken on some carriers and a handful of Pixel-exclusive features are missing. Interestingly, you should be able to pass SafetyNet without Magisk.
If you are lucky enough to already have a Google Pixel 5, you can start playing around with it. Just make sure to read every instruction carefully to avoid bricking your brand new device. You’ll also need to completely wipe your internal storage before flashing the ROM, so be sure to take a full backup of your important data beforehand.
Google is steadily pushing new features to YouTube Music to get it at par with Google Play Music. Over the last few weeks, the company has rolled out several features for free users that let them cast music to other devices, play uploaded songs, and even download playlists with uploaded music. On top of that, Google has introduced a host of new features to the service, like the recently added activity bar, which gives users quick access to four personalized playlists. But while YouTube Music still lacks a lot of features that were available in Play Music, Google is now focusing on borrowing features from rival Spotify.
“Year in Review” Playlist
According to a recent report from 9to5Google, YouTube Music will soon offer a new “Year in Review” playlist, which will let users “relive the top songs you listened to.” Both Spotify and Apple Music offer a similar playlist towards the end of the year, accompanied by some cool infographics and data about each user’s listening habits.
One YouTube Music user has already received this new playlist, which appears at the top of the app’s home page as “My 2020 Year in Review.” Underneath the cover art, YouTube Music also shows which artists are included in the playlist. However, unlike Spotify, the playlist doesn’t come with any infographics or data and the app doesn’t appear to have an option to share the custom playlist. Along with the personalized playlist, Google has also added general Top Songs 2020, Top Pop 2020, and Top Latin 2020 playlists to the service.
Sharing songs on Instagram and Snapchat stories
YouTube Music is also preparing to borrow another popular feature from Spotify, which will let users share songs as Instagram and Snapchat stories. According to a separate report from 9to5Google, Google has started testing the feature and YouTube Music’s custom share sheet already shows the new “Instagram stories” and “Snapchat stories” options for some users. But the functionality isn’t live yet, and tapping on either of these options crashes the app.
Once the feature rolls, selecting the options will share the selected song as a story on Instagram and Snapchat. While we’re yet to see what the resulting stories will look like, it’s safe to assume that it will include the album artwork and artist name. If Google is working with Instagram on the integration, the stories will likely include a direct link to open the song in YouTube Music.
As of now, we have no official information from Google regarding either of these features. We expect the company to release a statement as soon as the features are ready for primetime.
Samsung’s Exynos lineup of chipsets has been lagging behind their counterparts for the last few generations. While this applies to SoCs across different price brackets, news around Samsung’s flagship processors trailing behind their competitors from the Qualcomm camp has gained most traction. The Exynos 990 from earlier this year was also overpowered by the Snapdragon 865, but Samsung has been working its way out to change this dynamic. At an event today in China, Samsung’s semiconductors division announced the Exynos 1080 to power Samsung’s next generation of high-end smartphones.
Exynos 1080: Samsung’s latest high-end processor
The Samsung Exynos 1080 SoC features an octa-core CPU design in a 1+3+4 configuration. It is fabricated with a 5nm EUV-based FinFET process, which is expected to make the chips 25% smaller and 20% more power efficient as compared to the 7nm EUV process that is used to make the Exynos 990.
For the last five years, Samsung had been using its custom Exynos M cores, which could not match up to ARM’s Cortex-A cores. This led the Korean giant to eventually shut down its dedicated research program and drop their plans to develop the Exynos M6 core. Instead, they decided to rely fully on ARM’s Cortex cores for the Exynos 1080.
For the CPU, the Exynos 1080 utilizes one ARM Cortex-A78 core clocked at 2.8GHz along with three Core-A78 cores clocked at 2.6GHz for performance and four Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0GHz for power-efficiency. The said performance cores are expectedly more powerful than the Cortex-A77 cores that are employed on Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Snapdragon 865 Plus, and Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 9000 chipsets.
The new CPU configuration is likely to bring the Exynos 1080 neck-and-neck with the counterparts from Qualcomm and Huawei. Samsung claims that the new chipset shows a 50% increase in single-core performance and a 100% improvement in terms of multi-core performance as compared to the Exynos 990.
In addition to the modern CPU design, the Exynos 1080 also features a Mali-G78 MP10 GPU. As per Samsung, the new GPU outputs a 2.3 times (130% higher) performance as compared to the Mali-G77 MP11 GPU on the Exynos 990. Furthermore, the Exynos 1080 is also equipped with a neural processing unit (NPU) for predictive tasks, pre-loading apps, and other AI applications along with an AI-backed ISP for improved photography and videography.
Exynos 1080: 200MP cameras, 10-bit recording, 5G, and Wi-Fi 6
The Exynos 1080 is capable of supporting up to six cameras with a maximum resolution of 200MP. The processor also facilitates 10-bit 4K video recording for higher vibrancy as well as the ability to edit HDR 10+ videos on the smartphone itself.
In terms of connectivity, the Exynos 1080 supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. When it comes to 5G, the chipset supports both — sub-6GHz and mmWave — frequencies with maximum download speeds of up to 5.1Gbps and 3.7Gbps, respectively.
Lastly, the Exynos 1080 overcomes the Exynos 990’s limitations with refresh rate at higher resolutions. It supports WQHD+ displays at 90Hz refresh rate as compared to 60Hz on the latter, and up to 144Hz refresh rate at Full HD+ resolution. This leaves some room for speculation that Samsung may be working on the rumored Exynos 2100 that is likely to feature support WQHD+ displays at 120Hz for truly smooth scrolling on their 2021 flagships. The speculation hasn’t been confirmed yet, so please take it with a pinch of salt.
Vivo partners with Samsung for Exynos 1080
As reported earlier, Vivo has teamed up with Samsung to procure the Exynos 1080 chips for its smartphones. Earlier this year, Samsung has supplied Vivo with Exynos 980 and 880 to close in on rival mobile semiconductor manufacturers such as Huawei. The previous report also suggested that Xiaomi and OPPO could also become potential consumers of Exynos 1080 but that hasn’t been announced yet.
Previous timelines suggest smartphones with Exynos 1080 will hit the market in early 2021. We will have to wait an see if Vivo furnishes any SKUs before Samsung’s Unpacked 2021 event in mid-January where it is expected to announce the Galaxy S21 series.
Following the complete ban of PUBG Mobile, PUBG Corporation had announced that it is taking over complete rights of the game in India. It was rumored that the company is planning to launch a new version of the game specifically for Indian gamers. Today, the company has turned the rumor into reality. PUBG MOBILE INDIA will be a completely new game created specifically for the Indian audience.
This should come as a relief for a number of PUBG Mobile fans and professional gamers. PUBG Corp. has said that it wants to provide a secure and healthy gameplay environment alongside investments to cultivate local video game, esports, entertainment, and IT industries. It has announced plans to conduct regular audits and verifications on storage systems that will contain Indian users’ personally identifiable information to reinforce security and ensure that their data is safely managed.
There are also plans to introduce new in-game content tailored to suit the local requirements. While the company hasn’t shared a lot of details, one can expect the game to be now set in a virtual simulation training ground, new characters automatically starting clothed, and green hit effects. There will also be a new feature that will place restrictions on gameplay time so as to keep a check on younger players. A local office with over 100 employees will also be launched to improve communication and services with players. The company also plans to actively collaborate and leverage local businesses to strengthen its gaming service.
Lastly, PUBG Corp’s parent company KRAFTON Inc. is also planning to make investments worth $100 million in India. They claim that this makes it the largest investment by a Korean company to specifically promote local video game, esports, entertainment, and IT industries. The company will also make investments by hosting India-exclusive esports events featuring large-scale tournaments with massive prize pools. Recently, KRAFTON Inc struck a global deal with cloud computing major Microsoft Azure to host PUBG and PUBG Mobile.
PUBG Mobile was banned by the Indian government along with over 100 Chinese apps back in September on the grounds of national security and integrity. While the game was accessible until last month, a strict order forced the game developers to put a complete halt on October 30. As of now, there is no confirmation as to when exactly the game will return in India. But the announcement is a huge step and a reaffirmation that PUBG Mobile is here to stay. It remains to be seen how the Indian government reacts to this announcement. Meanwhile, ensure that you do brush up your skills.
Earlier this year in September, Vivo rolled out a Funtouch OS 11 beta based on Android 11 to the Nex 3S 5G and the iQOO 3. A month later, the company launched the Vivo V20 and beat Google to become the first OEM to ship a new device running Android 11 out of the box. The Vivo V20 ran a stable build of Funtouch OS 11, which included a couple of additional features on top of the ones introduced in Android 11. But even though Vivo has already shipped Functouch OS 11 beta and stable builds to a handful of devices, a recent Vivo X60 series leak suggests that the company may replace it with a new Android skin in the coming months.
Live images of the upcoming Vivo X60 series devices recently surfaced on Weibo (via GSMArena). One of the images showcases the Vivo X60 and X60 Pro side-by-side, with the former featuring a flat display and the latter rocking a curved panel. Both devices feature a centered hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera, but only the non-pro variant looks to have an orange accented power button.
The second image showcases the Vivo X60 Pro running the company’s new Android skin, called OriginOS. While the image reveals no further details about the software, it’s safe to assume that it will be based on Android 11. GSMArena speculates that Vivo’s upcoming software release will feature a completely new design with simplified aesthetics to cater to users outside the company’s home market.
Since it wouldn’t make sense for Vivo to maintain two different Android 11-based skins, the company might end Funtouch OS 11 development and push OriginOS to devices that have already received the Android 11 update following the official reveal. The company is scheduled to showcase the new X60 series and OriginOS at an event in Shenzhen, China on November 18.
Almost from the moment it was announced, the iPhone 12 Mini elicited excitement and garnered praise from fans and tech writers alike because they are apparently tired of large phones. And while I generally love big screens, I can see the iPhone 12 Mini’s appeal after testing it for the past day and a half. This is a phone that can fit into most pockets and be used with one hand with ease.
Apple iPhone 12 series: Specifications and Comparison
Specifications
Apple iPhone 12 Mini
Apple iPhone 12
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Build
Aluminum mid-frame
Glass front and back
“Ceramic Shield” for glass protection
Aluminum mid-frame
Glass front and back
“Ceramic Shield” for glass protection
Stainless Steel mid-frame
Glass front and back
“Ceramic Shield” for glass protection
Stainless Steel mid-frame
Glass front and back
“Ceramic Shield” for glass protection
Dimensions & Weight
7.4 x 131.5 x 64.2mm
133 grams (Global)
135 grams (USA)
7.4 x 146.7 x 71.5mm
162 grams (Global)
164 grams (USA)
7.4 x 146.7 x 71.5mm
187 grams (Global)
189 grams (USA)
7.4 x 160.8 x 78.1mm
226 grams (Global)
228 grams (USA)
Display
5.4″ Super Retina XDR OLED Display
2,340 x 1,080 resolution, 476 PPI
6.1″ Super Retina XDR OLED Display
2,532 x 1,170 resolution, 460 PPI
6.1″ Super Retina XDR OLED Display
2,532 x 1,170 resolution, 460 PPI
6.7″ Super Retina XDR OLED Display
2,778 x 1,284 resolution, 458 PPI
SoC
Apple A14 Bionic SoC
2x performance cores
4x power efficiency cores
5nm process node
4-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
Apple A14 Bionic SoC
2x performance cores
4x power efficiency cores
5nm process node
4-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
Apple A14 Bionic SoC
2x performance cores
4x power efficiency cores
5nm process node
4-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
Apple A14 Bionic SoC
2x performance cores
4x power efficiency cores
5nm process node
4-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
RAM
4GB
4GB
6GB
6GB
Storage Options
64GB
128GB
256GB
64GB
128GB
256GB
128GB
256GB
512GB
128GB
256GB
512GB
Battery & Charging
2,227 mAh battery as per certification listings
15W Wireless Charging with MagSafe
7.5W Qi Wireless Charging
2,815 mAh battery as per certification listings
15W Wireless Charging with MagSafe
7.5W Qi Wireless Charging
2,815 mAh battery as per certification listings
15W Wireless Charging with MagSafe
7.5W Qi Wireless Charging
3,687 mAh battery as per certification listings
15W Wireless Charging with MagSafe
7.5W Qi Wireless Charging
Security
Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Rear Camera(s)
Primary: 12MP
Secondary: 12MP, Ultra-wide angle
Primary: 12MP
Secondary: 12MP, Ultra-wide angle
Primary: 12MP
Secondary: 12MP, Ultra-wide angle
Tertiary: 12MP telephoto
Primary: 12MP
Secondary: 12MP, Ultra-wide angle
Tertiary: 12MP telephoto
Front Camera(s)
12MP, f/2.2
12MP, f/2.2
12MP, f/2.2
12MP, f/2.2
Port(s)
Proprietary Lightning port
Proprietary Lightning port
Proprietary Lightning port
Proprietary Lightning port
Audio
Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
I unboxed the iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max at the same time, and while the plus-sized phone felt exactly as I expected it to in the hand, I was caught off guard by just how dainty the iPhone 12 Mini is. Not since the iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S3 eight years ago have I held a flagship phone with premium components this small.
You know that place-your-pinkie-under-the-phone-to-support-it grip that we’ve all mastered in the last few years? I don’t have to do that with the iPhone 12 Mini, because measuring just 64mm (2.5-inches) across from left to right and weighing just 133g (0.3 lbs) means this is a phone I can wrap my fingers around and grip securely with ease.
I can also reach the top of the screen with my thumb with just a slight stretch, without having to loosen my grip the way I do with other recent iPhones. This is helpful with iOS because you need to swipe down from the top to activate the Control Center.
Not since the iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S3 eight years ago have I held a flagship phone with premium components this small
Before I got my hands on the iPhone 12 Mini, I wondered if its 5.4-inch screen would be too small for reading, but iOS’s UI inherently displays content at a larger scale compared to Android (this also means everything looks a bit too large on the iPhone 12 Pro Max). There are options to increase the font size if needed.
But because the notch that houses the Face ID system remains the same size across all the iPhone 12 series, this means the 12 Mini loses the most percentage of screen real estate to that notch.
The iPhone 12 Mini’s 5.4-inch display on top of the 12 Pro Max’s 6.7-inch display.
Other than its petite size, everything about the iPhone 12 Mini is identical to the standard iPhone 12 with the exception of one thing, so there’s no need to cover every detail here again. If you’re interested in seeing how the iPhone 12 Mini’s cameras or processor performs (they’re top notch), then please read my iPhone 12 review from two weeks ago.
Battery life could be a problem
That one exception I mentioned in the last paragraph is the battery life. The battery on the iPhone 12 Mini is even smaller (2,227 mAh) than the standard iPhone 12’s, and this will likely be a problem. I had trouble getting the iPhone 12 to last an entire day for me when connected to 5G, and with the iPhone 12 Mini, I am concerned it won’t even make it to dinner time.
That was indeed the case on my first full day with the phone — the battery icon turned red (under 10%) — by 8 PM. I will have to test it for longer to see if that was an anomaly or not, but let’s just say I doubt it was. At least you’ll have three ways to charge the iPhone 12 Mini: wired Lightning charging, Qi wireless charging, and MagSafe.
Early impression: the most powerful small phone in a long time
The iPhone 12 Pro Max, 12 Pro, and 12 Mini.
With Apple’s A14 Bionic and a very capable camera, the iPhone 12 Mini is easily the most powerful small phone in many years. Personally, once the novelty of being able to palm the entire phone wears off, I’ll want to jump back to a larger screen. But for those who have complained about phones being too large; for women with very shallow pockets (literally, not figuratively); or for those who want the newest iPhone at the cheapest price possible, the iPhone 12 Mini is the one to get. Just make sure you carry a charging cable or portable battery pack with you.
The iPhone 12 Mini is the smallest flagship in years. Despite it’s petite size, it packs arguably the most powerful SoC in smartphone right now, along with one of the very best cameras.
Apple’s biggest ever iPhone, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, is here. Unlike the previous two “Max” iPhones, there’s more that separates the iPhone 12 Pro Max from other devices in the iPhone 12 series than just a larger screen. I’ve been using it heavily for the past 36 hours, and here are my thoughts on Apple’s latest and greatest.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max.
I have also been testing the iPhone 12 Mini, so if you’re interested in my thoughts on that petite little thing, you can read it over here (soon).
Apple iPhone 12 series: Specifications and Comparison
Specifications
Apple iPhone 12 Mini
Apple iPhone 12
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Build
Aluminum mid-frame
Glass front and back
“Ceramic Shield” for glass protection
Aluminum mid-frame
Glass front and back
“Ceramic Shield” for glass protection
Stainless Steel mid-frame
Glass front and back
“Ceramic Shield” for glass protection
Stainless Steel mid-frame
Glass front and back
“Ceramic Shield” for glass protection
Dimensions & Weight
7.4 x 131.5 x 64.2mm
133 grams (Global)
135 grams (USA)
7.4 x 146.7 x 71.5mm
162 grams (Global)
164 grams (USA)
7.4 x 146.7 x 71.5mm
187 grams (Global)
189 grams (USA)
7.4 x 160.8 x 78.1mm
226 grams (Global)
228 grams (USA)
Display
5.4″ Super Retina XDR OLED Display
2,340 x 1,080 resolution, 476 PPI
6.1″ Super Retina XDR OLED Display
2,532 x 1,170 resolution, 460 PPI
6.1″ Super Retina XDR OLED Display
2,532 x 1,170 resolution, 460 PPI
6.7″ Super Retina XDR OLED Display
2,778 x 1,284 resolution, 458 PPI
SoC
Apple A14 Bionic SoC
2x performance cores
4x power efficiency cores
5nm process node
4-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
Apple A14 Bionic SoC
2x performance cores
4x power efficiency cores
5nm process node
4-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
Apple A14 Bionic SoC
2x performance cores
4x power efficiency cores
5nm process node
4-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
Apple A14 Bionic SoC
2x performance cores
4x power efficiency cores
5nm process node
4-core GPU
16-core Neural Engine
RAM
4GB
4GB
6GB
6GB
Storage Options
64GB
128GB
256GB
64GB
128GB
256GB
128GB
256GB
512GB
128GB
256GB
512GB
Battery & Charging
2,227 mAh battery as per certification listings
15W Wireless Charging with MagSafe
7.5W Qi Wireless Charging
2,815 mAh battery as per certification listings
15W Wireless Charging with MagSafe
7.5W Qi Wireless Charging
2,815 mAh battery as per certification listings
15W Wireless Charging with MagSafe
7.5W Qi Wireless Charging
3,687 mAh battery as per certification listings
15W Wireless Charging with MagSafe
7.5W Qi Wireless Charging
Security
Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Face ID (TrueDepth camera for facial recognition)
Rear Camera(s)
Primary: 12MP
Secondary: 12MP, Ultra-wide angle
Primary: 12MP
Secondary: 12MP, Ultra-wide angle
Primary: 12MP
Secondary: 12MP, Ultra-wide angle
Tertiary: 12MP telephoto
Primary: 12MP
Secondary: 12MP, Ultra-wide angle
Tertiary: 12MP telephoto
Front Camera(s)
12MP, f/2.2
12MP, f/2.2
12MP, f/2.2
12MP, f/2.2
Port(s)
Proprietary Lightning port
Proprietary Lightning port
Proprietary Lightning port
Proprietary Lightning port
Audio
Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
Audio formats supported: AAC‑LC, HE‑AAC, HE‑AAC v2, Protected AAC, MP3, Linear PCM, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital (AC‑3), Dolby Digital Plus (E‑AC‑3), Dolby Atmos, and Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+)
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Design: It’s big, but not that big
The iPhone 12 Pro Max carries the same design language as the other three iPhone 12s, so it’s a rectangular glass-and-metal sandwich slab with four flat sides.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max (right), iPhone 12 Pro (middle) and iPhone 12 Mini (left).
Much has been made by the media about how big the iPhone 12 Pro Max is — its 6.7-inch OLED panel is the largest Apple’s ever used on a phone — but personally, I don’t find it too unwieldy or intimidating to hold. I think it’s because I handle a lot of big phones — my SIM card has called these devices home in the past few months: Huawei Mate 40 Pro,LG Wing,Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Although the iPhone 12 Pro Max mostly looks like a super-sized version of the iPhone 12, the camera system sees three hardware upgrades: The main 12MP camera uses a larger image sensor, one that Apple claims is 47% larger than the main sensor in the other three iPhone 12s. The main camera also has a new IBIS (in-body image stabilization) system instead of “just” OIS (optical image stabilization) as seen in the other devices in the iPhone 12 series. Finally, the telephoto lens has a longer 2.5x zoom (65mm focal length equivalent).
The other improvements Apple already applied to the other iPhone 12s — faster f/1.6 aperture and the ability to shoot night mode on every lens — are here too, of course. This means the iPhone 12 Pro Max is Apple’s most fully decked out camera system — at least on paper. I’ll talk more about the cameras later.
The Huawei Mate 40 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
And because the phone is larger, the battery in it is also larger than the rest. The rest of the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s components and hardware features are the same as the iPhone 12 Pro, so you’re still getting that stainless steel railing (that attract fingerprints like crazy), 5G support, “Ceramic Shield” screen, 5nm Apple A14 Bionic, strong haptic engine, and support for Apple’s MagSafe chargers. I’ve written a half dozen articles on the iPhone 12 including a full review, so I don’t think I have to dwell too much on the hardware — just know that this is one of the most premium-feeling phones on the market. Instead, I want to dedicate a couple of paragraphs to my frustrations with the device due to Apple’s stubbornness.
Software: The iPhone 12 Pro Max is hard to use with one hand not because of its size, but because of iOS
Earlier, I said the iPhone 12 Pro Max didn’t feel too huge in my hand. But the phone is still hard to use with one hand, and it’s because of iOS. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and LG Wing are every bit as tall as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but they don’t bother me too much because I simply place all my apps at the bottom of the screen where my thumb can easily reach them. If I need to pull down the notifications panel, I don’t have to reach for the very top of the screen as I can just swipe down from anywhere on the home screen.
iOS doesn’t let us do either of these things. Apps must sit in a top-down, left-to-right grid. This means that unless I fill my entire home screen with apps, I don’t have any apps in the bottom half of my home screen except for the dock. I can’t place more apps in the dock, because it’s limited to four apps.
The LG Wing is just as tall as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but I can use the phone with one hand with ease because I can just place apps at the bottom half of the screen.
Activating the control center requires swiping down from the very top of the upper right corner of the screen, which is just impossible for most human thumbs to reach while still gripping the phone tightly. Apple’s solution is “reachability,” which brings the screen down about halfway but doesn’t narrow the width of the content, so typing with one hand on a wide phone like the 12 Pro Max is still tough. I want to reiterate that it doesn’t have to be this way: I can use a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra with one hand perfectly fine. It’s iOS’ draconian design that makes the iPhone 12 Pro Max hard to use with one hand.
I also wish Apple would bring over some of iPadOS’ split-screen multitasking gestures to the iPhone 12 Pro Max since the screen is so large. As it is now, you’re just viewing the existing content in a larger size, but you’re not actually viewing more content.
Cameras: Improvements are present if you look hard enough
I have been testing the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro over the past month, and I found them (particularly the latter) to be very, very good shooters, even if I generally preferred the color science produced by the Google Pixel 5 more, or that the Huawei Mate 40 Pro still produced noticeably more detailed zoom shots and ultra-wide shots.
The reason is that the iPhone 12 Pro still shoots the most consistent photos across all three lenses, does not oversharpen or overprocess human skin, and can capture the most stable videos in terms of stabilization, exposure, and focus. When I heard the iPhone 12 Pro Max would have a larger sensor, better zoom, and stabilization, I was excited. And so it is with a tinge of disappointment for me to report that, for the most part, the photos produced by the iPhone 12 Pro Max do not differ too much from the iPhone 12 Pro in regular real-world shooting conditions.
Let’s start with the main camera because that’s where most of the upgrades are found. During the day, the iPhone 12 Pro Max captures identical photos to the iPhone 12 Pro (or the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini, since they’re all the same sensor). But even when the sun sets, the photos are virtually indistinguishable unless you blow them up on a computer screen and pixel peep. For example, below are two images captured by the iPhone 12 Pro Max and 12 Pro.
They both look very close in terms of lighting and balance, and it’s only when I blew up the images and zoomed in did I see that the 12 Pro Max’s image retained better texture of the buildings.
iPhone 12 Pro Max image zoomed in (left) and iPhone 12 Pro image zoomed in
Here’s another set:
Just like the first set, you’d need to zoom in and search for areas where the 12 Pro Max image (left) is slightly cleaner.
iPhone 12 Pro Max and 12 Pro shots zoomed in.
I took up over a dozen test shots like this around the city, and I couldn’t really see noticeable differences between images captured by the iPhone 12 Pro Max or 12 Pro except for two niche situations: shots taken in a really dark alley, and another in a pitch-black room with all lights off (the first two samples in the album below).
That the 47% larger sensor and IBIS system (which Apple says helps prevent micro-jitters when taking night mode shots) produces just slightly better low light images is kind of disappointing. But the silver lining is that this is a testament to Apple’s growing prowess in computational photography because all the iPhone 12 devices automatically turn on night mode in low light scenes. This means Apple’s night mode is so good that it’s compensating for the smaller sensor and relatively-inferior stabilizing system.
Apple's night mode is so good that it's compensating for the smaller sensor and relatively-inferior stabilizing system
And once I gave up trying to take niche low light shots just to see where the iPhone 12 Pro Max wins, I enjoyed the experience a lot. So what if the 12 Pro Max’s main camera isn’t much better than the 12 Pro’s? The latter is already one of the very best cameras on the market. Below are more photo samples captured by the 12 Pro Max — these shots are all perfectly balanced, with lively colors and no noise. I also like the natural creamy bokeh when I get close to a subject or object.
The other camera hardware improvement — the longer telephoto zoom — works as advertised. Any zoom beyond 2x, and you can see that the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s image is sharper. The maximum zoom of the 12 Pro Max is also 12x instead of 10x in the 12 Pro or 5x in the regular 12 and 12 Mini.
The longer zoom’s 65mm focal length makes for a more natural portrait framing too, in my opinion.
Early impression: Don’t pick the iPhone 12 Pro Max just for the cameras
If you’ve already decided you want an iPhone 12 and are deciding between the four, don’t let the cameras be the deciding factor. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has Apple’s most ambitious camera hardware system ever, but Apple’s computational photography, like Google’s, has gotten so good that hardware has been made less important. For most people, most of the photos they take will look the same whether they’re shooting with the 12 Pro Max or 12 Mini.
The 12 Pro Max and the 12 Mini
However, do get the 12 Pro Max if you want the best battery life. This is important this year because 5G has proven to be a battery drain. The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro have been barely getting me through a whole day’s use on a single charge, and the iPhone 12 Mini has consistently run out of juice by dinner time. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the only new iPhone that can go the distance. Also do consider the 12 Pro Max if you consume a lot of videos on your phone, because this is the largest screen ever, and the stereo speakers are excellent.
Ultimately, it appears that the assumption most of us in tech media made after the iPhone 12 launch event — that the iPhone 12 is the right iPhone for most people — is indeed the correct take.
The biggest iPhone ever has the most ambitious camera system Apple's ever made. While the cameras are slightly improved over the standard iPhone 12 Pro, a better reason to pick up this device is for the excellent battery life and brilliant screen
